Sustainability Assessment

Sustainability is a complex, multi-faceted concept. At the most basic level, Sustainability is a property of a system that balances 3 pillars: economy, society, and environment (these are often known as the “pillars of sustainability”).

Methodologies based on the concept of life-cycle thinking are widely considered the most appropriate tools to quantify the performance of products or organisations in terms of sustainability or each of its pillars. Life cycle thinking implies a holistic view that spans across the full life cycle of products or organisations, from the extraction of materials to the disposal of waste (“cradle to grave”).